Ginny Doesn't Have Secrets
by Muted Melody
Summary: ONESHOT. Hermione suspects that Ginny is hiding something from the Trio. Is she right?


ONE-SHOT.

"Look, all I'm saying is that something's up, okay?" Hermione persisted.

Ron and Harry simultaneously groaned and pretended to be vastly interested in their Potions books. The Trio was sitting in the Great Hall, eating breakfast and studying last minute for their Potions exam (at least, Ron and Harry were), and Hermione had been consistently going on about how Ginny had looked off color that morning.

"Honestly, Hermione, she probably just ate a bad pumpkin pastie or something!" Harry protested.

"Yeah," Ron chimed in, "and I mean… honestly, come on… Ginny doesn't have secrets." At that last thought, he chortled a little too boisterously and started choking. Harry awkwardly patted him on the back as Hermione continued, her eyes flashing now.

"Doesn't have secrets? Do you not know your sister at all?" she exclaimed indignantly, her hands on her hips in an uncanny Molly Weasley impression.

"What about the Chamber of Secrets?!" she demanded.

"Oh – that – " Ron choked out, his face still a little red. After pausing to take a sip of water offered by Harry, he continued hurriedly. "I mean, it's not like it was **her** secret, was it? It was You-Know-Who's – and I mean, if he hadn't forced her to keep it a secret, she probably would've spilled anyway. Never could hide anything from her brothers," he added affectionately.

"Come on, Ron, you should know her! There are plenty of things she keeps from her brothers, but the lot of you is too dense to know any better!"

And with that, Hermione grabbed her Potions book and stormed out.

Ron watched her go, and then turned to Harry.

"She's always been a bit mad, hasn't she?"

* * *

But something _was_ wrong with Ginny Weasley that morning. And although her brother could not see it, her best friend Colin certainly could.

When she came down to the common room to meet Colin for breakfast, like she always did, her hair was a mess and she was sniffling repeatedly.

Colin took one look at her and said firmly, "Alright love, we're not leaving for breakfast until we have a good chat."

At that, she suddenly broke down and started sobbing. Colin led her gently over to one of the couches and then sat down on the one opposite her.

"Gin? Gin, come on. I'm your best mate. What happened?" he pleaded, his eyes searching hers as he handed her a tissue.

"He – dumped – me" she said in a strangled voice.

"HE WHAT?!" Colin jumped up angrily. "I always knew that ferret was no good! I can't believe he did this to you! Where is he?" he demanded as he looked wildly around the common room, as if _he_ could be stalking behind one of the window curtains that very moment.

"No – sit down," she said more firmly, pushing Colin until he sat down.

"Gin, what did that slime do to you?"

"I – Seamus – put his arm around me at dinner last night… and he got really jealous… well, you know how he is…" Ginny hiccupped, and then continued.

"He said…"

Colin leaned forward. "What was that?"

Slowly, she enunciated, "He said… he said that… if I wanted to be the Gryffindor whore… it was alright with him… but he wouldn't – go out with me…"

"HE SAID WHAT?!" Colin jumped up and was almost to the portrait hole when Ginny suddenly ran and grabbed his arm.

"No – Colin – he always gets like this… and it was actually kind of a mutual breakup… I mean, you know me – I wouldn't take that sitting down, would I?" She gave a weak, watery smile. "Just… let it be… I mean, we couldn't have lasted anyway, right?"

She burst into sobs again.

* * *

Draco stormed into his dormitory, his bad mood hanging over him like a black cloud.

His best friend, Blaise Zabini, looked up from a mass of blankets and pillows as soon as he came in.

"Oh, it's you," he said sleepily as he blinked a couple of times. "You know, it's very rude to come charging in when somebody's trying to get a bit of shut-eye before facing the Tartan."

Ignoring Blaise's referral to Professor McGonagall, Draco huffed angrily as he threw himself onto his bed.

Blaise propped himself up on his elbows, still rubbing his eyes a little.

"All right, mate… what's going on?" he asked tiredly.

"Nothing," Draco snapped.

"Oh, I see. And would this nothing happen to have red hair and freckles?"

Draco's head whipped around so fast he accidentally cracked it.

"How do you – "

"Oh please. If you were any more obvious, **Professor Lockhart** would know. And plus," he added smugly, "it is _me_ we're talking about here."

Draco threw a pillow at him and rolled his eyes. "You're insufferable, you know that?"

Blaise's smirk grew even wider before disappearing altogether. "So seriously, what's going on?"

Draco sighed and buried his head in his hands. "Well… at dinner yesterday… that scumbag Seamus Finnegan – you know, the one with those shifty eyes – put his arm around her at dinner last night. And," he seethed at the memory, "she seemed to _enjoy _it."

Blaise's reaction was completely unexpected. Instead of sympathizing, he fell off his bed, and was rolling around on the floor laughing his head off.

Draco became incensed. "I don't see _what_ is so bloody funny!"

"Mate, I don't think Ginny's his – erm – " He paused dramatically. "—type."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"Well – _we're _more his type, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink.

Draco's mouth fell open. "Oh," was all he could muster.

Blaise's smirk fell as he studied Draco's face. "All right, what did you do?"

Draco tried to slap on a look of innocent indignation, but failed.

"What makes you think I did something?" he asked.

Blaise snorted and rolled his eyes. "Please. What did you do?"

Draco stared intently at his feet as he answered. "Well… I mean… you know how jealous I get… and I kind of… said she was a whore."

"YOU WHAT?!" Blaise bolted up from his bed, his expression one of angry indignation. "Okay, that's it. _No_ more sulking for you. Get your fat arse up from that bed, march downstairs, and apologize to Ginn—I mean, nothing." He smirked at the latter.

"But—"

"No buts! Go!"

Blaise pushed him out the door and slammed it behind him with a smirk.

* * *

Colin walked Ginny to Charms later that same day. He had started a rousing pep talk in the common room that he was persevering on now, in the hallway.

"You don't need him anyway. You're a strong, amazing, gorgeous woman."

"Lathering it on a bit thick, don't you think?" Ginny laughed. But her face fell as she added quietly, "Yeah, I don't need him at all. Just a little bit. Just a lot…"

Both of them, however, were startled when they bumped into something large. Looking up, they recognized the one guy that had started all this commotion and drama in the first place.

"Ginny! Thank Merlin, I need to talk to you," Draco said hurriedly, with an expression of earnest anxiety.

She desperately turned to Colin, unsure of what to do, but Colin was walking away. He threw a wink over his shoulder as he left, and indicated with a tilt of his head that she should go talk to Draco. She hesitated for only a few seconds, but that was all Draco needed.

"Gin – listen, I – I'm – "

"Yes?" she asked with one eyebrow arched. She'd never heard Draco stutter before.

Indeed, he seemed to be making a great effort when he suddenly blurted out, "I'm sorry."

Ginny was stunned. Hadn't he said himself in past months that Malfoys _never_ apologize? Draco, however, seemed extremely relieved.

"You're – you're what?" she stammered.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice becoming steadier as he continued, "Blaise told me that Seamus… isn't… _interested_ in you. I mean, he would be, of course – who wouldn't be? But he isn't your _type_." Draco paused, seeming a little embarrassed. "I just wanted to say that I'm – sorry."

Ginny tried to feel angry, but all that came through was sheer relief. "You're bloody right he isn't!" she laughed as she smacked him playfully on the arm. "Don't ever do that again, Draco," she added a little more seriously.

"What, apologize or be a jerk? Because I've got no problem with never apologizing again," he replied, equally playful.

"Well, clearly, expecting you to never be a jerk again is far too optimistic."

Draco laughed as he reached forward and took her in his arms.

"Let's never fight again, mm?" she murmured as she looked up steadily into his eyes. Ginny could have sworn she saw them turn a darker shade of grey – almost black, in fact – as he leaned closer and replied, "Sounds like a deal to me, _Ginevra_." As soon as he uttered that last syllable, his lips were on hers.

Suddenly, they both heard a loud voice yelling, "OY! Ginny, what in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?"

They broke apart hurriedly, but the damage was done. "What do you think you're doing kissing the _ferret_?!" Ron screeched, "You hate him!"

Hermione, however, was scrutinizing the situation with a shrewd look in her eyes. "Ginny, is this – ?"

When Ginny nodded, that was apparently all the reassurance she needed.

Brusquely, she stepped in front of Ron and helped Harry hold him back. "Ron, clearly this is the secret that Ginny's been keeping from us all year," she said sternly, "honestly, it's quite obvious that this is why she was upset in the first place. I was right – something _was_ up with Ginny."

Ron looked wildly from Ginny, to Draco, to Harry, and back to Hermione. "But – but –" he stammered, "Ginny doesn't have secrets!"


End file.
